Purpose of the Role

People, Planet, Performance, Progress – King’s Cross’ ambition is to be a global exemplar of progressive city life. Inclusive, humane, modern urban city living.

The Retail Operations Manager (ROM) is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day retail operations across the retail portfolio at King's Cross Estate, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, and maintaining high standards of service delivery. This role involves managing financial operations, ensuring contractual obligations are met, and supporting the development and execution of business plans. The ROM will drive operational excellence, foster a culture of innovation, and ensure outstanding customer service.

To support the Senior Retail Manager (SRM) and Head of Destination, with the day-to-day management of the Coal Drops Yard and Fish & Coal buildings, being the initial point of escalation for all operational matters related to the buildings, Retailers and driving operational excellence within the Retail team and align with the wider commercial building property management at King’s Cross. They will ensure that the contractual obligations to our retailers are met and exceeded in a consistent, proactive and professional manner, in keeping with the values and policies of the site-based team.

They will be responsible to drive an operationally efficient and commercially competitive environment within the retail properties, always protecting the value and reputation of the owner’ assets. The ROM will support the Head of Destination’s work in driving a culture of innovation, enhanced asset values and world class customer service.

The ROM will be the first escalation point for operational matters for Retailers and services partners associated to the retail buildings at King’s Cross. They will work with the KCES team and wider Savills team to ensure all involved are delivering to the appropriate standard set by the senior KCES management team.

They will drive, implement and maintain the usage of effective management systems and procedures in the delivery and continuity of service of the security, M+E, Cleaning, Health & Safety, customer experience within their buildings and wider estate. They will ensure a consistency of implementation and delivery of these. The ROM will actively contribute and drive standards of the management of Health, Safety and Wellbeing for all users of the King’s Cross Estate and drive initiatives across the estate.

The ROM will work with the surveying team and SRM to set and manage economically competitive commercial service charge budgets within the agreed timeframes. They will also be responsible for the delivery of controlled spend throughout the service charge year and ensure all quotes are sourced in line with the Savills procurement policy by the team.

Customer service/ Stakeholder Engagement

• Ensure good relations with all key stakeholders, promoting a positive and collaborative environment.
• Develop and maintain a professional understanding and close working relationship with retailer onsite management and become the main point of contact and/ or escalation for retailers with across the site.
• Support the SRM in ensuring they continue to develop, maintain and nurture professional relationships with the occupiers across the portfolio. Flag any areas of concern to the SRM and actively manage the team to implement changes where required.
• Encourage frequent and open communication and flow of information on relevant building issues with retailers across the estate.
• Work with the service partners and other Savills colleagues who may interact with the retailers to ensure a consistent approach to communication is used across the portfolio. This should include the method of communication used, tone, content, and language.
• Actively engage with wider Savills operations team to ensure that we stay abreast of industry trends, drive innovation and operational excellence across the estate.
• Develop and maintain a professional working relationship with all service partners across the estate.
• Develop and maintain a professional working relationship with the relevant departments within the client’s organisation.
• Where applicable, to work closely with the client asset management team, Savills mobilisation team and other departments in supporting the mobilisation of assets as they complete and manage the seamless handover into management.

Force for Good

• Actively engage in all ESG initiatives across the estate and drive the adoption of policies and procedures and will ensure these are adhered consistently across the KX retail portfolio.
• Ensure that the sustainability and social value ESG agenda is fully embraced and are fully aware of the drivers for change. Actively drive initiatives set by the the senior leadership team.
• Be abreast of any new initiatives, which could improve ESG performance across the estate and work on the implementation of these.
• Ensure that ESG initiatives are discussed with all retailers at monthly meetings and promoted where possible.
• Work with the Asset Managers and Savills site team to support the client’s events and community programmes across the commercial portfolio.
• Ensure ESG initiatives are considered during the development of service charge budgets.

Leadership & People Management (One Team)

• Ensure KCES vision and values are integrated into all building services, promoting a culture of excellence.
• Promote a self-motivated and can-do attitude within the Retail Team, fostering a positive work environment.
• Promote a methodical, measured approach within the team, providing support and training as needed to new joiners.
• Take ownership of the King’s Cross vision and values ensuring that they are fully integrated into all of the building services across the retail portfolio.
• Develop and nurture a highly effective professional relationship with the Service Partners to ensure the portfolio meets and exceeds all statutory compliance and fosters a culture of outstanding.

Operational

Service Partner Management

• Ensure that all building key service commitments related to the retail portfolio are completed in line with company policy.
• Develop professional relationships with Service Partners, promoting collaboration and open communication.
• Ensure to run monthly KPI meetings with all service partners, encouraging open discissions with the services partners on performance in a fair, honest and professional way. Ensure a consistent approach is delivered with the evaluation of performance.
• Promote the recognition of excellent performance of contractors or service partners throughout Kings Cross. Reenforce positive service where possible.
• Ensure that underperformance of service partners is discussed and documented with the appropriate people. Areas of improvements should be discussed with the services partners and clear, realistic targets agreed. Flag concerns with performance to the SRM.
• In situations where underperformance of a service partner does not improve the agreed escalation process should be followed and also discussed with senior management.
• Pro-actively procure, following the company tender guidelines where required, building and contracted services.
• Have an understanding of the key technical, building, fabric, specialist stakeholders and supply chain to ensure faults or conflicts can be escalated and resolved in a timely manner.
• Promote strong relationships with the management teams of all site delivery partners and ensure all parties work in a harmonious manner in support of the estate.

Compliance

• Conduct daily inspections of Coal Drops Yard and Retailer areas, ensuring high standards of presentation.
• Conduct monthly building inspections to a high standard and ensure actions are completed in a timely manner.
• Ensure that Health & Safety, emergency procedures and safe working practices are established, maintained and conform to current legislation.
• Ensure retailers and KCES staff are provided with a safe environment in which to conduct their core business activities.
• Take all reasonable measures to ensure that retailers remain aware of their obligations in respect of the building incident procedures and risk assessments and that the legitimacy of the document is not in any way compromised.
• Ensure that every incident and accident is fully recorded, reported (including to insurers) and investigated and any remedial measures diligently attended to. Act as custodian and ensure that all aspects of the relevant KCES manuals including Operations Manual, Health & Safety and Accounts Manuals are complied with and accurately reflect recorded amendments.
• Comprehensive understanding of property statutory compliance guidelines.
• Health & Safety experience / qualifications – IOSH or above.
• Work with the technical team to achieve full compliance with statutory legislation and ensure that all records are fully maintained and available for inspection through the appointed CAFM system and nominated risk management system.
• Work closely with the Senior Engineering Manager to ensure full compliance with statutory legislation is being met and new ways of working to drive efficiency are being explored.
• Ensuring statutory reporting obligations relating to the FM operation are monitored monthly and any issues or trends flagged to senior management. This should include statutory compliance, health and safety risk actions and sustainability actions.
• Ensure all information captured on health & safety systems and data basis is up to date and to a high standard.
• Ensure any documentation associated with the buildings, such as emergency procedure, building handbook, tenant fit-out guides are reviewed annually by appropriate person. Ensuring all documentation is completed to a consistent quality and style across the portfolio.
• Ensure all actions following risk assessments and audits – GRA/ FRA/ DDA/ WRA, are completed within the timeframes agreed.

Maintenance & Engineering

• Work closely with the senior engineering manager to ensure both teams are working collaboratively and discuss/ implement areas of improvements and efficiencies. Keep the HoPO informed of these and highlight areas of support required.
• Work with the Savills engineering team and M+E service partner to ensure consistent management of all PPMs and reactive tasks are completed within the buildings to a safe, timely, compliant level.
• Work with the Savills engineering team to ensure all assets within the building are maintained to an optimum level.
• With assistance of the engineering team, ensure that lifecycle and future planning/ replacement of plant equipment is continually reviewed throughout the year. Associated costs to be discussed with Head of Property Operations and surveyor.
• Ensure regular reviews of permit and helpdesk system are taking place so systems are up to date.
• Oversee and ensure house rules & regulations and procedures are followed and permits to work for all contractor activities within the building, are raised.
• Have an appropriate level of understanding of building plant equipment, maintenance, and compliance.
• Have a good knowledge and experience with regards to work permits, occupier fit outs, landlord works. Understand when additional assistance/ sign off is required by senior and/or specialist professionals.

Service Charge / Set Up / Management / Reconciliation

• Aid in the production of the annual service charge budget and management accounts, coordinating the input of internal resources and ensuring strict adherence to the published programs.
• Strong understanding and experience in service charge management and budgeting.
• Ensure monthly reviews of service charge spend is carried out, capturing: manual movements sent to accounts team and housekeeping of orders is actioned.
• Ensure all works and orders are reviewed before instruction.
• Ensure any overspend or concerns with survive charge levels are discussed with the SRM and surveyor at the earliest opportunity.
• Demonstrable understanding of RICS code of practice.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Experienced in property/ facilities/ building management role.
• Experience in service partner management.
• Experienced in being a point of escalation for retailers, clients and service partners.
• Have a good knowledge and experience with regards to work permits, occupier fit outs, landlord works.
• Interest in sustainability and ESG initiatives, and driving change and impact across assets.
• Experience of setting and managing a service charge budget.
• Excellent communication skills and relationship builder.
• Confident understanding of building plant equipment, maintenance, and compliance.
• Comprehensive understanding of property statutory compliance guidelines.
• Qualification of IOSH.
• To be experienced in working alone and or as a part of an integral team.
• Professional, measured approach with strong work ethic.

This Job Description is not an exhaustive list of duties, and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your role within the organisation and the changes in the wider King’s Cross Estate development.

Working Hours - Monday – Friday 09:00 – 17:30 – Core Hours

Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.